This application relates generally to the field of motorized, wheeled toy vehicles, and more particularly relates to such toy vehicles adapted to travel along tracks, rails, wires or the like.
Motorized, wheeled toy vehicles are well known. The toy vehicles may be powered by mechanical wind-up mechanisms, battery powered motors, electric powered motors, etc. The toys may be adapted for unrestricted travel, for travel on tracks, rails, wires or the like, for radio-controlled travel, etc.
Many such toy vehicles travel along tracks, rails, wires or the like, such that the layout of the tracks, etc., determines the travel pathway of the toy vehicle. In certain instances, the tracks provide a pair of vertically-extending, laterally-paired, external boundary members (e.g., walls, bumpers, etc.) to control directional movement, whereby the wheels of the toy vehicles roll between the lateral boundaries such that the exterior sides of the wheels or toy vehicle will contact the boundaries, thereby precluding unwanted lateral deviation of the vehicle from the track pathway. In other instances, the wheels of the toy vehicles ride atop a pair of elongated top edges of the tracks or rails, the wheels of the toy vehicle being structured such that an annular flange or rim extends radially outside of the annular contact surface of the wheel, i.e., the flange/rim has a large diameter than the main portion of the wheel, such that the paired flanges preclude excessive lateral movement relative to the track or rails, such as for example as found in a traditional electric train set.
In other instances, each wheel of a toy vehicle is provided with an annular channel extending around the circumference of the wheel, such that each channel defines an interior contact surface bounded by two flanges or rims. The combination of contact surface and paired flanges define a generally C-shaped or U-shaped annular channel. Such a construction allows the wheels to travel on tracks or rails having a pair of thin, vertical walls or structures presenting a pair of narrow edges or runners, as well as allowing travel on a pair of wires or strings. The separation distance between the top edges or runners is equal to the distance between the channels of each transverse wheel pair. With wheels of this design, the toy vehicles may also travel on horizontal surfaces without tracks, rails, wires, strings, etc.—the outer perimeter of the flanges acting as the wheel contact surfaces for the horizontal surface. The channels of the toy vehicle wheels may be square, rectangular, U-shaped or V-shaped.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved wheel structure for channeled wheels, the improved structure providing greater traction between the wheels and the track, rails, wires, strings, etc., such that the motorized toy vehicles are able to traverse over relatively steep inclined tracks, rails, walls, wires, strings, etc. It is a further object to provide a set of track members and a surface guidance system whereby the travel pathway between track members on a horizontal surface is controlled by the surface guidance system.